thibault



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

A. THIBAULT.

PORTABLE SGAFFOLD.

No. 462,934 Patented Nov. 10, 1891.

ARV/A5 TH/BA U1. 7;

lnuani'or,

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

A. THIBAULT.

PORTABLE SGAPFOLD.

No. 462,984. Patented Nov. 10,,1891.

R 2 H11 [L I, I H m a SM mhn Am Mm UNITED STATEs PATENT OFFICE.

ARVIAS THIBAULT, on OTTAWA, CANADA.

PORTABLE SCAFFOLD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 462,934, dated November10, 1891.

Application filed April 22,1891. Serial 110.389.951. (N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ARVIAS THIBAULT, a citizen of the Dominion ofCanada, residing at Ottawa, in the county of Carleton, in the Provinceof Ontario, Canada, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Portable Seaffolds, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in portable scaffolds such as areused in the cleaning, painting, repairing, or otherwise im-.

proving the exterior surfaces of buildings, and it will be found anespecially convenient and valuable help in working at or washing theoutsides of house-Windows, where high ladders or scaffoldings wouldotherwise be required.

It is designed in this invention to provide a cheap, light, andeasily-handled scaffold that may be placed in any ordinary window, fromwhich it will project outwardly and form a safe support andstanding-platform for either women or men to stand on while performingany of the outside works above mentioned.

Having these objects in view, my invention consists in a light frame ofsuch width as will allow it to pass through an ordinary window andextending both inside and outside a sufficient distance to provide therequired standing-platform for the operator and also for the securebracing of the scaffold inside, all as hereinafter more fully describedand illustrated in the annexed drawings, in which- Figure 1 is alongitudinal sectional elevation of the scaffold through its center,showing it in position in a window. Fig. 2 is an inner end elevation ofthe scaflold, as in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the scaffold foldedup as when not in use or for carrying about; and Fig. 4C is a sectionalview on line X X, as in Fig. 3.

The outside floor A and the inside floor B are secured to the oblongrectangular frame 0. This frame is intended to be laid upon thewindow-sill when the scaffold is in use, and to project outward, asshown in Fig. 1, so that the floor A will afford standing-room for aperson working on the outside of the building.

In order to prevent the tilting of the scaffold by the weight of theperson standing on its outer end, the inner end is firmly bracedvertically in the following manner: An extension-brace D is hinged tothe inner end of the scafiold and is in tended to butt against the topof the window-casing inside, or, if found more convenient, against theceiling of theroom. Owing tothegreatvarietyofheights of ceilings andwindows, it. is necessary that this brace should be made extendibleendwise, and for this object the brace is made in two pieces fitted tolie together, as shown, one of them being attached to the floor B by thehinge 8, while the other part, sliding endwise on the outer face of thehinged piece, is held to it by the elasps f, which surround both partsand are attached to the hinged part of the brace, while the other partslides freely through them. The outer or extension part is moved bymeans of the screw g, which lies in a groove formed partly in both partsof the brace and works in a nut 71, fixed in the extension part. A rodor shaft "J is added to the end of this screw. It is provided with acollarj, which faces against an eye-block 7c, fixed in the hinged partof the brace and through which said rod passes. The rod 5 is extendedfor some distance outside of the eye-block, and has its end portion bentto form a crank, by means of which the screw 9 is turned and theextension part of the brace moved. The end of the screw g butts againsta stop Z, fixed in the hinged part of the brace. The legs M, whichsupport the inner end of the scaffold from the floor, are connected withthe frame 0 by the pivots 9'2, so that they may be folded up against thefloor B of the scaffold when not in use, as shown in Fig. 4. These legsare provided with the extension-pieces 0, which are held to the legs bythe clasps P. The extension part slides loosely through the clasp, butmay be gripped and held at any point by the setscrew (1, which piercesthe inner side of the clasp and holds the extension-piece firmly againstthe leg.

As further means for preventing the slipping of the extension-piece onthe leg, their two contact-faces are tapered in opposite directions, andthey are placed together head and point, so that any slipping upward ofthe wextension-piece would only crowd it tighter against the leg. Ashort feather formed 011 the contact face of the extensi0n-piece slidesin a groove in the contact-face of the leg and keeps the two pieces inline with each other. By these extension devices the scaffold may bemade perfectly secure in any window.

To the outer end and two opposite sides of the outer part of thescaffold I provide the guards B. These are attached to the scaffold bymeans of hinges, so that they may be folded down when not required, asshown in Figs. 3 and 4. These guards are intended as a safeguard againststepping over the edge of the platform while working thereon, and forprex enting articles placed thereon from also falling to the groundbelow.

The small pinsi in the upper corners of the safeguards are provided tohold the end guard in an upright position, which guard when in suchposition will thereby hold the side guards in a similar position. \Vhennot in use, these guards will fold down on the platform, and in somecases, as may be required by the different uses to which my scaffold isapplicable, the guards may be alt0- gether removed without changing thenature of my invention-such, for instance, when it is required to makean extended outside scaffolding, which can be arrived at by placing twoor more of my scaffolds in different windows and placing a laddercrosswise on the outside platforms.

Secured to the frame of the platforms are the lugs. or projections s,which are intended to hold against the outer edge of the windowsill, andthereby prevent any inward slipping of the scaffold.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent,

1. A portable scaffold comprising a frame 0, carrying a floor, and thebrace D and legs M, pivoted, respectively, to the upper and. lower facesof the frame 0 at the inner end of the latter.-

2. A portable scaffold having the floors A and B, secured to the frame Cand provided with an extendible brace D, composed of two parts, one ofthem hinged to the floorB and the other to an extension-piece slidingupon said hinged part through the clasps f and provided with screw g,nut '11, collar j, and eyeblock 7a, as set forth.

3. In a portable scaffold, the extension-legs M, pivoted to the frame C,having the ext-ension-pieces 0, held to the legs by the clasps P, withtheir set-screws as described, and for the purposes set forth.

4:- A portable scaffold comprising a floored frame 0, a brace D, pivotedto the upper face of the frame at its inner end, and the guards R,hinged to the upper face of the frame at its outer end, the Whole beingadapted to be folded into compact form for handling, substantially asshown.

In witness whereof I have set my hand in the presence of two Witnesses.

ARVIAS 'IHIBAULT.

Witnesses:

FLAVIEN MOFFET, ED. AULE.

